Chapter 7: Escaping The Infected School!
"Run!" I shouted to Emily as I pressed the tattoo.
The world froze.
The teacher’s reaching hands stopped mid-grab, mere inches from my face. His grotesque expression was locked in place, filled with inhuman hunger. The other infected behind him were caught mid-lunge, their bodies twisted in unnatural positions as they prepared to attack.
The countdown began in my head: ten, nine, eight...
"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" Emily’s voice was high with panic, but she was moving, scrambling down the right corridor to reach the emergency exit
I pushed myself away from the frozen tableau of horror, my legs shaky with adrenaline. The silence was absolute and eerie—no moaning, no shuffling footsteps, no sounds of pursuit. Just Emily’s ragged breathing and my own thundering heartbeat.
Seven, six, five...
"This way!" I shouted, seizing Emily’s hand with a firm grip. We darted into the nearest room, a restroom barely a few meters from the exit leading to the parking lot. It would have been foolish to make a blind dash outside, especially after I had already used my ability to stop time.
The seconds ticked away in my mind like a countdown to an explosion. Four, three, two... I spun around, my heart pounding, only to freeze at the sight before me. An infected stood there, its hollow eyes staring blankly ahead. Emily let out a stifled yelp, her hand tightening around mine.
Without hesitation, I lunged toward the infected, its body frozen in time. I grabbed it by the shoulders and dragged it toward the door. The weight of its limp body made my muscles strain, but adrenaline surged through me. One... With a final heave, I kicked the infected outside and slammed the door shut just as time snapped back to normal.
I pressed myself against the door, my hand covering my mouth to stifle any sound. Time had been stopped, so the infected hadn’t seen me enter or push it out. The slow, shuffling steps outside the door sent a wave of relief through me. I slid down the door, my back against the cold surface, and let out a shaky breath. "I—I need to use them," Emily whispered, her voice trembling. She quickly opened one of the cabin doors and disappeared inside.
I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. It felt like I had lost several years of my life in those few moments. The weight of what we were going through pressed down on me, but I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. After Emily finished, I took my turn to relieve myself, the tension in my body slowly easing.